Conventional dry-erase boards (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,987,825, Des. 402,696 and Des. 402,697) have erasable surfaces for writing notes, messages and the like. These boards are adapted to be hung easily from many different types of supporting surfaces, such as a refrigerator door, a wall, etc., and are in wide use at homes and offices.
A conventional dry-erase board includes a frame and a substantially rigid panel having a dry-erase writing surface. More particularly, the panel is typically glued to the frame. Due to the time required for applying and curing the glue, it takes a relatively large amount of time to construct the board, thereby rendering its assembly inefficient and/or costly. Other types of board assemblies, such as picture/photograph frames, poster boards, push-pin boards, etc., utilize comparable mechanisms (e.g., glue, nails, staples and screws) for mounting panels to associated frames and therefore suffer from similar problems. As a result, there is a need for an improved board assembly adapted for quick and easy construction.
In addition to the frame and panel, the conventional dry-erase board is provided with a holder for storing a writing instrument, such as a dry-erase marker. Typically, the holder is in the form of a clip mounted to the frame. Other types of holding mechanisms have also been developed. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. Des 402,696 discloses a dry-erase board frame having a plurality of slots for receiving and retaining a writing instrument therein. While these holding mechanisms are relatively cost-effective, there is a need for an improved holding mechanism for enhancing the functionality and/or appearance of the dry-erase board.